Plugged In @ Hinman Straub

February 5, 2021

Coverage of Albany and New York State Government

What’s Inside

  • Governor Announces List of Comorbidities and Underlying Conditions Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine
  • Governor Issues Letter Asking New York Congressional Delegation for Fair Funding
  • Governor Directs a Public Takeover Feasibility Study of Long Island Water Company
  • Empire Center Wins FOIL Suit to Compel DOH to Release Nursing Home Fatality Data
  • DFS Releases Report on Redlining in Buffalo
  • Former Senator Martinez Lands New Job
  • Political Updates
  • Reminders and Links
  • Coming Up
  • Budget Hearing Schedule

Governor Announces List of Comorbidities and Underlying Conditions Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine

The Governor released a list of comorbidities and underlying conditions that New York State will use to determine eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. New Yorkers who have one of the comorbidities on the list will be eligible for the vaccine beginning February 15. The list includes the following:

Adults of any age with the following conditions due to increased risk of moderate or severe illness or death from the virus that causes COVID-19:

  • Cancer (current or in remission, including 9/11-related cancers)
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Pulmonary Disease, including but not limited to, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and 9/11 related pulmonary diseases
  • Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities including Down Syndrome
  • Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, or hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including but not limited to solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines, or other causes
  • Severe Obesity (BMI 40 kg/m2), Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
  • Pregnancy
  • Sickle cell disease or Thalassemia
  • Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
  • Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
  • Neurologic conditions including but not limited to Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia
  • Liver disease

Governor Issues Letter Asking New York Congressional Delegation for Fair Funding

The Governor issued a letter asking New York’s Congressional delegation to fight for fair and proportional funding in the next COVID-19 aid package. Specifically, the Governor asks for funding for state and local governments, to repeal the SALT cap, to provide rent relief/mortgage relief, and to help restaurant workers. The letter asks the Congressional delegation to directly fund governments rather than bypassing them to fund schools, hospitals and organizations directly.

The letter can be read in its entirety here.

Governor Directs a Public Takeover Feasibility Study of Long Island Water Company

The Governor announced that he has directed the Special Counsel for Ratepayer Protection at the New York State Department of Public Service to commence a municipalization feasibility study regarding Long Island’s largest privately-owned water company, New York American Water Company, Inc. The Department is currently reviewing the sale of New York American Water to Liberty Utilities Co., another private utility. During that proceeding, public comments have included calls for public takeover of the utility rather than authorizing the sale to another private utility. The study will commence immediately and is due April 1, 2021.

Governor Cuomo said

“For far too long, the 120,000 customers of New York American Water on Long Island have been plagued by exorbitantly high rates for water – this simply cannot continue. New York is immediately launching an effort to thoroughly study all options to reduce customer costs for this vital necessity and a basic right, including a public takeover. New Yorkers deserve access to clean, safe and affordable water and we are going to pursue every avenue to make that happen.”

Empire Center Wins FOIL Suit to Compel DOH to Release Nursing Home Fatality Data

The Empire Center won a court ruling requiring the prompt release of full coronavirus death tolls in New York nursing homes. State Supreme Court Justice Kimberly O’Connor sided with the think tank writing that the state Health Department violated the law by not providing the records in response to a Freedom of Information Law request filed last August in a timely manner. The order mandates the state turn over the requested info within five business days and pay the Empire Center’s legal fees.

Bill Hammond, senior fellow for health policy at the Empire Center said:

“We hope Justice O’Connor’s unequivocal ruling finally pushes the Cuomo administration to do the right thing. The people of New York—especially those who have lost loved ones in nursing homes—have waited much too long to see this clearly public information about one of the worst disasters in state history.”

DFS Releases Report on Redlining in Buffalo

The Department of Financial Services released a report based on an investigation into redlining in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The report found a lack of lending by mortgage lenders, particularly non-depository lenders, in Buffalo neighborhoods with majority-minority populations and to minority homebuyers in general. Redlining includes refusing to do business in a neighborhood based on the racial or ethnic composition of a neighborhood’s population, or imposing more onerous terms on home loans in a particular neighborhood in a discriminatory manner.

The report found that less than ten percent of mortgage loans were made to minorities in the Buffalo metro area where they make up twenty percent of the population. Nonbank mortgage lenders in the Buffalo market lent at lower rate in majority-minority neighborhoods than depository institutions did. DFS further alleges that several of the nonbank mortgage lenders made little effort to do business in majority-minority neighborhoods, do not have adequate fair lending compliance programs, and do not track whether or how well they are serving populations of color.

The report recommends that the State’s Community Reinvestment Act be amended to require nonbank mortgage lenders comply with its requirements and calls on the Department of State to conduct an investigation of real estate agents in the area.

Superintendent of Financial Services Linda A. Lacewell said:

“The findings of this report are particularly troubling. Homeownership is a critical path to building wealth and economic stability, and the data is clear – families of color, particularly African Americans, do not have equal access to mortgage lending in Buffalo compared to white households. We now have the opportunity to right some of the wrongs of the past by looking at the entire problem and formulating solutions so the legacies of segregationist policies do not continue into the future.”

Former Senator Martinez Lands New Job

Former State Senator Monica Martinez, a freshman democrat who lost her re-election bid this fall, has been hired by the State Parks Department as the regional parks department deputy director on Long Island. Martinez is replacing another former Senator, Brian Foley, who retired in January.

Political Updates

NY-22: Oneida County blocked from certifying results.

Judge delays NY 22nd race another week after last-minute Brindisi effort.

The endorsements for NYC mayoral candidates.

Reminders and Links

City & State NY’s Weekly Winners and Losers here.

City & State NY’s 2021 Education Power 100 here.

Coming Up

*POSTPONED – TBD* The Senate hold a public hearing to examine key issues that impacted the 2020 Primary and General Elections, including the overall administration of elections, early voting, absentee, ballots, and board of elections reforms on January 29.

The Board of Regents will hold their next meeting on February 3.

The Public Service Commission will hold its next meeting on February 11.

JCOPE will hold its next meeting on February 23.

The Senate will hold a public hearing to hear about the difficulties of taxi drivers and livery drivers across New York State on February 25.

Budget Hearing Schedule

Human Services

Tuesday, February 9 – 9:30 A.M. (Direct requests to testify to Assembly)

Public Protection

Wednesday, February 10 – 9:30 A.M. (Direct requests to testify to Senate)

Local Government

Thursday, February 11 – 9:30 A.M. (Direct requests to testify to Assembly)

Economic Development

Tuesday, February 23 – 9:30 A.M. (Direct requests to testify to Senate)

Taxes

Tuesday, February 23 – 1:00 P.M. (Direct requests to testify to Assembly)

Health

Thursday, February 25 – 9:30 A.M. (Direct requests to testify to Senate)